Significance in Suffering

When I was a kid, I often asked the question “Why?” Usually, this came from innocent curiosity, but sometimes would digress into challenging my parents’ authority and knowledge. Nowadays, I still ask “why” questions, but the content of them has changed, especially as I’ve worked at OIM: “Why do people hurt themselves and continue in destructive habits?” “Why does there have to be such suffering in the world?”

These are the types of questions that come to my mind during Street Outreach when I see hopeless, destitute individuals sitting on the street. While these questions are borne out of sorrow and sympathy, I can not deny that sometimes they bear the same note of defiant challenge towards God, like some of my questions were towards my parents.

From Genesis 3, I know that suffering is because of our disobedience to God. This suffering may come from the direct sinful actions of people or because of the original sin, which caused the world to be broken. Yet even though I know this, sometimes this feels inadequate.

But then I consider, without God, without this knowledge of sin, suffering is meaningless. If there is no God, no sin, no heaven or hell, suffering is just that: suffering that you didn’t deserve and that doesn’t have any meaning. Yet with God, suffering does have meaning. For Christians, suffering becomes even more meaningful as we identify with Christ in his suffering and allow him to use our suffering to glorify him. Suffering reminds us that this is not our home and to hope for heaven. It can spur us to share the gospel and praise God for the astounding gift of Jesus Christ, the most undeserving of suffering and yet who suffered the most so that we can be free of the eternal suffering we deserve. While this doesn’t just erase my “why” questions or the feelings behind them, I’m encouraged that God has not just abandoned his people to a meaningless suffering. In his justice and mercy, he gives meaning to everything, even suffering.

~Lydia, Summer Student

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash